BODY IMAGE RELAXATION

Take a moment to settle into a comfortable position.

Notice now, how you are feeling.... how you are doing right now in this moment.

How does your body feel? Scan your body for a moment now, starting at your feet,
simply noticing how your body is feeling.

Notice your feet... ankles... legs.... hips. Continue scanning your body, moving upward to
your stomach, back, chest, sides. Mentally scan your hands, arms, and shoulders... your
neck, head, and face.

Where is your body the most tense? Where is your body the most relaxed?

Just notice the state of tension and relaxation in your body.

Notice how your body relaxes... bit by bit.... without any effort on your part. See how
your muscles become a little bit looser... less tense.... naturally, just because you are
taking a moment to sit quietly and relax. Without any effort or input from you... without
you even trying... your body becoming slightly more relaxed with each passing moment.

Think about your body image... what is body image? Maybe you think about the picture
in your mind you have of what your body looks like. Maybe it's the ideas you have about
your body... your feelings about your physical self. Perhaps body image is is a vision of
how you think your body should be. What does body image mean to you?

Take a moment now to consider your thoughts and ideas about your own body. How are
you feeling right now, thinking about your body image? You might feel neutral, content,
comfortable, uncomfortable, satisfied, dissatisfied, happy or unhappy, angry, afraid,
accepting..... maybe a combination of things.... contradictory feelings are common....
and it is okay to feel however you are feeling.

What might it be like to accept your body, just as it is? What if you felt okay about your physical
self? Imagine for a few moments what that would be like.
Think about a time in your life when you felt accepting of your physical self - your whole
self, or even part of yourself.

Which parts of your body are the easiest for you to accept?

Imagine if you could accept your body as a whole, rather than as a collection of
individual parts.

You have been doing some difficult thinking these last few moments. Let's take a step
back now, mentally, to relax.
Breathe in, deeply. And breathe out.

In.... and out.....

In... and out.....

Keep breathing deeply, slowly. It feels good to take deep, calm breaths.

Just relax for a moment while you notice your breathing. Just notice your breaths for a
moment.

(pause)

If there are any areas where you are feeling tense, direct your attention to these areas as
you breathe.... imagining that each breath in brings relaxation... and each breath out
expels tension. Breathing in relaxation... and breathing out tension..... each breath
relaxes you further.

(pause)

Now I will say some body image affirmations. You can repeat these if you wish, or
simply relax as I talk.

Each affirmation is true.... even if it may not seem true right now.

Let's begin the affirmations.

I am okay the way I am.

I can accept myself the way I am.

My body is acceptable just the way it is.

I am an okay person.

I accept this body I am in.

There is no need to be perfect.

My imperfections make me unique.

I am perfectly alright just the way I am.

My body is a functioning whole.

I am human, and all humans have flaws.

I can accept my imperfections.

I free myself from judging my body.

I am okay just the way I am.

I accept myself.

Now that you have repeated some affirmations, take note of how you are feeling. What
was it like to repeat or listen to the affirmations?

It is okay to feel however you are feeling right now, good or bad. Accept the variety of
feelings you may have.

Take a moment now to just relax. Let all the worries and tension go as you breathe
slowly in... and out.... in.... out..... continue to breathe slowly, deeply.... naturally.

When you are ready to return to your waking level of consciousness, slowly leave this
relaxed state you are in. Keep with you a feeling of calm, while becoming more awake
and alert.

Wake up your body and your mind. Move your arms and legs a little and feel your
muscles reawakening.

I'll count up now from 5 to 1, and when I reach 1 you will be fully awake and ready to
return to your usual activities.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1
HEADACHE RELAXATION

Before you begin, take note of how you are feeling. Notice your headache. If you were to
rate the severity of this headache, with zero being no pain at all and 10 being the worst
imaginable pain, what rating would you assign right now? Rate your headache from zero
to 10.

Find a comfortable position – sitting in a supportive chair or lying down are ideal – and start to
relax your body with some gentle stretches. During this headache relief script, stop or ease up if
you experience pain or discomfort. Listen to your body and make sure to stretch gently and
safely.
Lower your left ear toward your left shoulder. Return to center. Lower your right ear
toward your right shoulder. Return to center. Repeat, leaning left.... center .... right....
center .... left.... center .... right..... center.

Now lower your chin toward your chest. Allow the weight of your head to stretch the
back of your neck, with your muscles relaxed.... No force..... just allow your head to hang
forward.

Keeping your head forward, roll slightly to the left and upward, back to center... now
slightly to the right and upward. Your head will move left to right, tracing a slight U
shape. Left... forward.... right.....forward.... left...... forward..... right..... forward.

Now return to a neutral position. Look up, gently leaning your head back to stretch the front of
your neck. Return to neutral. Look up one more time, stretching.... relaxing.... and return to
neutral.
Bring your shoulders up toward your ears.... hold..... now lower your shoulders. Bring
them even lower still.... Return to neutral. Repeat one more time, raising your shoulders
up..... and then lowering them.... Now relax your shoulders into a low neutral position.

Shake your shoulders front to back by bringing your left shoulder back a short distance
while you move your right shoulder forward a small amount. Now move your right
shoulder back and the left one forward. Repeat rapidly... shake..... shake..... shake. Relax
your shoulders now. Feel the tension leaving your body as you relax. Notice the
beginning of headache relief as your muscles relax and let go.

Focus now on your breathing. Breathe in deeply. Feel the air you breathe in relax and
sooth you. Exhale fully, breathing out all the air.... Relaxing as you breathe out.

Take another deep breath in..... and out..... in...... out....

Continue breathing deeply.

Turn your attention now to your headache. Where is the rating right now, from zero to
10? Allow the headache relief to occur as you relax further.

Notice specifically where the pain is located. When you breathe in, imagine that you are
breathing relaxation into this area. When you breathe out, imagine exhaling away
tension. In your mind, direct your breath to this area.

Imagine now that your feet are warm, becoming even warmer. Feel the warmth
increasing in your feet and in your legs.

Notice your hands, and imagine that the palms of your hands are warming. Picture your
hands becoming warm and heavy.... Your arms also becoming warm and relaxed.

Your arms and legs are very heavy and very warm. Very relaxed. Allow the warmth in
your arms and legs to increase. Warmer and warmer.

Turn your attention to your forehead. Imagine that your forehead is smooth and cool.
Feel the coolness on your forehead – as if a block of ice is a few inches away from your
skin, and you can feel the cool air from the ice moving gently across the skin of your
forehead. Your forehead feels quite cool – you can feel that the ice is very near, but it
does not touch your skin.

Allow the feeling of coolness to move along the surface of your face and head. Starting
from your eyebrows, feel the cool air on your eyelids and cheeks. Feel the coolness
spreading to the top of your head, the sides of your head, the back of your head. It is so
pleasant and cool. The coolness provides headache relief.

Imagine wrapping your head in a cool, wet cloth. Imagine the first strip of cloth laying
across your forehead, and then above your left ear, around the back of your head, above
your right ear, and over your forehead again. Imagine wrapping your head completely in
comforting, soothing coolness. It is wrapped fairly tightly, and the pressure feels good. It
pushes away the pain you were experiencing, leaving only a calming firm touch. It is
very cool.

Imagine that the cloth that wraps your head becomes slightly looser. Feel your body relaxing,
just as the cloth is relaxing.....
You can barely feel the cloth on your skin now, as it becomes looser still. You are feeling
very comfortable and relaxed. Let a feeling of relaxation begin at the very top of your
head. It might feel heavy... or light... it might feel tingly..... feel the relaxation at the top
of your head.

Allow the feeling of relaxation and to grow, expanding with each breath you take. The air
you breathe in adds to the relaxation. The calm and relaxation you are experiencing
allows you to experience headache relief. The relaxation is like a bubble of peace and
calm, growing larger and larger as more relaxation is added each time you breathe in.
The area around the relaxation gets smaller with each breath out as you exhale any
feelings of tension.

Let the relaxation grow, spreading to your eyebrows, eyelids, eyes, cheeks, nose, mouth,
chin. Feel the relaxation filling up the space inside your head. Relaxing the top of your
head, the back of your head, the sides of your head, your ears.

Feel the very top of your neck relaxing, and the tingly feeling of relaxation spreading
down the back of your neck.... the sides of your neck..... the front of your neck.... Your
shoulders.

With each breath, imagine the relaxation filling your body more and more. Growing
downward from your shoulders.... Reaching the level of your elbows and belly button.
Relaxation growing, reaching the level of your hips..... knees.... All the way down to your
feet.

Your entire body is loose, comfortable, heavy, and relaxed.

Feel any pain or discomfort dissipating, dissolving.... Becoming smaller and smaller as
the relaxation grows.

You can become even more deeply relaxed as you focus again on your breathing. Do not
try to change anything, simply notice your breathing and focus your attention on each
breath.

For the next 2 minutes, repeat “I am" each time you inhale, and “relaxed" each time you
exhale.

I am.....

Relaxed.....

I am.....

Relaxed.....

Continue on your own for a few moments. As your thoughts wander, simply return your
attention to the words you are repeating in this headache relief script.

(pause)

I am.....

Relaxed.....
I am.....

Relaxed.....

You are deeply relaxed. Let your thoughts drift now for a few moments as you simply
enjoy the feeling of relaxation. Enjoy the feeling of headache relief. Complete and total
relaxation, peace, and calm. Pleasant headache relief. Peaceful and relaxed.

(pause)

You have completed the relaxation for headache relief script. You can choose now to
become alert and awake, or drift off to sleep.

I will count from 5 to 1. If you choose to reawaken, become more alert with each
number, until at 1 you are fully awake. If you decide to sleep, you can drift off as I count.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1